2024's 10 top-grossing US films were all sequels and prequels

The big picture: Hollywood has long been dominated by sequels, prequels, remakes, reboots, "legasequels," cinematic universes, and other films tied to established franchises. However, 2024 could mark a new milestone: no original movies made the domestic top 10 box office list. As the industry continues its recovery from the pandemic, its increasing dependence on familiar brand names shows no signs of slowing.

According to Slashfilm and Box Office Mojo, the 10 highest-grossing films in the U.S. this year were almost exclusively sequels. The sole exception was a prequel, underscoring Hollywood's persistent aversion to risk.

With only a few days left in 2024 before the last box office report, it's unlikely that recently released films like Sonic the Hedgehog 3 will change the final rankings (which is another sequel). As it stands, the top 10 highest-grossing films worldwide are:

1. Inside Out 2 – $1,698,765,616
2. Deadpool and Wolverine – $1,338,073,645
3. Despicable Me 4 – $969,126,452
4. Moana 2 – $882,505,425
5. Dune: Part Two – $714,444,358
6. Wicked (the only prequel) – $634,378,535
7. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – $571,750,016
8. Kung Fu Panda 4 – $547,689,492
9. Venom: The Last Dance – $476,391,878
10. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice – $451,100,435

Expanding the list to the top 20 reveals only three original films: It Ends with Us, The Wild Robot, and The Garfield Movie. Interestingly, the reign of superhero movies has waned, with only Deadpool and Wolverine and Venom: The Last Dance breaking into the top 10.

Although franchise-based films have consistently dominated box office charts in recent years, a handful of original movies usually crack the top 10. Notably, last year saw Barbie, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and Oppenheimer fill the top three spots, beating an otherwise sequel-dominated list.

However, even those three films weren't entirely "original." Barbie and Super Mario Bros. drew on decades-old franchises, and Christopher Nolan – director of Oppenheimer – has arguably become a brand in his own right. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 2024's total domestic box office grossed $8 billion, a slight decline from 2023's $9 billion, due in part to labor strikes and the absence of a cultural phenomenon like "Barbenheimer."

The global box office tells a slightly different story, thanks to the success of Chinese blockbusters. For instance, YOLO claimed the number 9 spot worldwide, while Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was outperformed by Chinese films Successor and Pegasus 2, according to The Numbers.

Looking ahead, 2025 promises another wave of major sequels, including Captain America: Brave New World, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and Jurassic World Rebirth.